Al's Pancake World Deluxe
by arielbelle
Summary: After leaving Yale, Rory moves into her grandparents house. She takes a trip to Stars Hollow in an attempt to make up with her mom, but finds a happy surprise in a new possible relationship with an old flame. -Rated M for language and possible sexual content later; just being safe.
1. Chapter 1

I am not affliated with Gilmore Girls.

Just for creative fun and my happiness. :)

-Rated M for language and possible sexual content later on. Just being safe!

Chapter 1:

Rory Gilmore was walking the street across from Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow. She was wearing a jean jacket, a pink sweater, and a tight worn pair of jean shorts. It didn't matter how often she was in Stars Hollow, the night weather always seemed to make her feel at home. There were a few out and about; she passed Daisy and Miss Patti walking to Dosey's Market, Kirk was going to Luke's, and a few others were walking home. Rory pulled the hood on her sweater up over her head, smiling to herself. She crossed the street and headed for Luke's. She paused briefly at the door; worried momentarily about what would happen once she crossed the threshold.

It was a month ago; Rory had just been left by Jess. She'd graduated high school, and though her plans for the summer hadn't exactly panned out the way she thought it would, she had at least hoped she could remain in Stars Hollow for the summer hanging with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, Jess left without another word. She kept getting calls, but no one would talk. On her graduation day she had finally told him how she felt. A month later, she still felt the awkward stares, but they were better than they were before. She still couldn't talk to Luke like she used to, but it wasn't because she thought it was his fault. She couldn't talk to him as much because Luke went out of his way to play up the situation and apologized a million times every time she saw him. She shrugged it off and entered the restaurant.

Lorelai Gilmore had been at work, so Rory was pretty much alone. It was true that their relationship as mother and daughter were unheard of, but the awkwardness between them had even begun to sink in some. Lorelai knew that Rory was hurting but she couldn't do anything about it. And Lorelai had told her all along that Jess was bad news, but Rory had to discover that herself; So even their relationship had been on the rocks. The only relationship that hadn't changed indirectly from the break up was Rory and Lane's. Lane Kim was Rory's best friend, and they had this bond that nothing could ever change. Rory smiled as she thought of Lane briefly. She sat down at a table by the front window and waited on Luke. The place was packed; but it usually was.

Just then, Dean walked in. Dean was her ex-boyfriend; he had broken up with her because she had a thing for Jess. She immediately ducked her head, noting momentarily that Lindsey wasn't with him. They'd become an item and there had been talks about marriage. Rory wasn't sure how she felt about that, but it was his life not hers. They'd both moved on, so the awkwardness between them shouldn't have changed any. Instead of going to a table to sit down, Dean moved over to Rory. He bit his lip, shoving his hands in his pockets. He rocked on his heel for a moment before beginning,

"Rory… I'm really sorry about Jess." Rory wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but that hadn't been it.

"I… thank you." She replied, looking up at him. It still struck her even after dating for a good period of time, how tall he truly was. Dean smiled briefly at Rory.

"If you need anything... let me know." He said, before walking away. He didn't even wait for her answer. He must have been nervous. She ordered a large order of pancakes and threw in some cheese fries for good measure. Luke apologized about Jess again, then went and threw in a coffee for free. Maybe she should have eaten Chinese at Al's World of Pancakes.

2 years later:

Rory paced the floor at her grandma's house. She had been seeing (here and there, she definitely wouldn't go as far to call them boyfriend and girlfriend really) Logan Huntzberger. He was the bane of her existence sometimes. She checked her cell real quick, hoping a call or text or a smoke signal… anything that said maybe he remembered their date. Nothing; biting her lip, Rory grabbed her keys and went out to her car. In the car, on the passenger seat, sat about 11 binders. Each binder was labeled according to the source and the articles involved. Sighing, she grabbed them and tossed them onto the back seat. She'd worry about being neat a different time. _So what, he's probably busy._ Rory thought to herself. Pushing her bangs back from her eyes, she started the car.

There wasn't anywhere else in the world she wanted to be than Stars Hollow. She was getting on the highway as she felt her phone buzz. She pulled over to the median and took her phone out of her pocket. She had just gone through a siminar about being on the phone while driving and it had scared her just a little.

The text read, 'I'm sorry Ace, big party. I'll call you tomorrow.' Seething and teeming with disappointment, Rory threw her phone in the empty seat next to her and pulled back on to the highway. _Fine. But I won't sit there and be the front door mat._ She drove right to Luke's diner. Her mom was going to some kind of meeting for the Inn so she wasn't home. Instead, a nice juicy burger and some cheese fries might cheer Rory up. She parked next to the town square and walked over to Lukes.

Upon entering Luke's, Rory noted two things: One, there was no empty seats; and two, Luke was nowhere to be found. Lane was working very hard, appearing to carry eight plates at a time.

"Rory, would you like something to go? I would offer you a place to sit, but there was some kind of town historic event that went on today and I cannot even move the people from seat o seat without them getting mad." Lane said, quickly rushing to get the next bunch of plates. _Well, this isn't the calm environment I thought I'd get._ She said, but shrugged as she moved towards the cash register. She ordered her food to go, and there was a new cook that she couldn't identify.

"Where are the pickles?" Dean said, as he turned around to face the front. Rory saw his face and her heart stopped. What was Dean doing working at Luke's?

"Dean, you work here?" She asked, barely trusting her voice to work.

"Just temporarily. Luke had to go out of town for something and I ended up being the only one available to work." He said, handing Rory the bag of her food. "I don't think there are any pickles in this store, sorry." He said, and he swallowed hard. His Adams apple bobbed up and down awkwardly in the silence between them. The whole store seemed quiet to Rory. Dean was the first to break eye contact, but only because another one of the customers was talking to him. Rory paid Lane for the food and walked out to the gazebo. Her heart was still hammering in her chest. She had a strange reaction to Dean this time; she couldn't even describe it to herself. Picking up her hamburger, she bit into it and closed her eyes. She so enjoyed these burgers, and Dean made them just as good as Luke.

"Hey." Rory heard, and she glanced up. It was Dean. He smiled, looking kind of nervous. "Is it okay if I sit down?" He asked, and all she could do was nod. He had bag from Luke's too.

"Lunch or dinner break?" She asked, laughing just a little. He nodded.

"Same thing as you." He said, grabbing his sandwich from the bag and snagging a fry as well. "Sorry I don't mean to intrude; there is just nowhere else to go." He said, looking into her eyes. She felt a slight sizzle in the air, and felt a familiar pull in her stomach.

"So tell me Dean, where are you working when you're not a cook?" Rory asked, taking another bite of her sandwich.

"I'm a construction worker." He answered between a mouthful of food. "I got laid off though." He said quietly, and Rory could tell the words kind of hurt him. Like maybe he was struggling with money. "I also still work part-time at Dosey's. I didn't have much of an option and Dosey was more than ready to have another stock boy." He said, and as he put his hand down, his finger brushed her arm. She couldn't believe it but there it was, she had goosebumps.

"And Lindsey?" She asked, not wanting to hear an answer that she didn't know she could handle.

"Gone." He admitted, staring at his burger. "We fell apart pretty quickly. I wasn't changing to her liking." He said, his voice sounding more rough than sad. "I decided I needed someone who wanted me for who I am. So I live with my parents again." He said, but he didn't seem too thrilled about that.

"Oh, I see." She said, dipping her fry in some ketchup. "I live with my grandparents." She said. She hadn't told a lot of people that, and she definitely didn't let them know her and her mom Lorelei had been on the outs some. She had been willing, that night, to let it all go. If her mom could comfort her. That would be the big thing; if her mom could accept what Rory had decided to do. "I left Yale." She said, and Dean immediately seemed alert.

"You what? But Rory you know that you belong at Yale. You have such an amazing future in front of you." He said, meeting Rory's eyes with his own.

"I don't know. I need time to figure out what I want." She admitted, finishing off her fries. I just want time to figure out what I want and what I need." Dean placed his hand carefully on Rory's leg; she figured that this was more a soothing thing than a come on, but it made Rory nervous in a good way. She smiled.

"I understand that. I'm doing that now, myself." He said, moving a bit closer to Rory unconsciously.

Rory whispered, "What if coming here tonight had something to do with both our futures?" Dean nodded and the space between them became non-existant. Everything that had happened those last couple of months melted away; and with that, their lips met. The goosebumps that Rory had been getting on and off intensified, and it appeared that Dean felt that electricity between them as well. Pulling their lips apart seemed to take a wrecking ball effort, in Rory's opinion. Dean's breathing had picked up.

"Rory…" Dean began, and Rory stopped him with another kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer to her. They both abandoned their bags of food, the food falling onto the ground. She couldn't care less about the food at that moment.

Moments later, Lane peeked out of Luke's.

"Dean?" She yelled. Dean was the first to pull away, but he didn't seem to want to.

He yelled back, "Just a minute!"

"Your break is over! Get back in here! The people want their food!" She yelled back before slamming the front door the best she could. Rory's hands were shaking, but she reached for Dean's.

"Go back to work, Dean." She said softly, but she didn't want him to. He stood up, running his hands through his hair.

He leaned down and kissed her once more, then whispered, "Can we talk later?" Rory nodded and kissed him again.

"Please." She said. "555-2031." She said, grabbing a pen from her purse and writing it on his arm. He walked back to Luke's, leaving Rory to process what had just happened. It wasn't because she was mad at Logan; that wasn't it. Though she knew pretty well that she was mad about Logan. It's just that for the first time, maybe ever, the world stopped turning. The kiss, well kisses, with Dean had suddenly become the most important thing. She couldn't have described it if she wanted to; she just knew how she felt. She picked up their bags and tossed them in the trash, then got in her car. She drove back to her moms, and sat down waiting on the text from Dean.


	2. Chapter 2: Be happy for me!

Al's Pancake World Part 2

Same as before; for my own happiness. This would be avoiding the whole Rory stealing a boat with Logan. Her relationship with Logan had never made it as far as being boyfriend and girlfriend with him exclusively. Just to catch you up. Also, Lindsay and Dean had dated but I hadn't gotten them married. Rated M for safety reasons. Possible sexual content in later chapters. Thanks for the reviews. ;)

Getting Dean's text at 11pm was the highlight of being at the house that night. It wasn't like Lorelai to not show up, but Rory gathered that her mother was still unhappy with her. Because of this, Rory sat at the house, painting her toenails, reading rubbish magazines, and watching T.V. To say she was bored would have been an understatement. Dean texted Rory at exactly 11pm, which Rory decided had been when Luke's closed that night. She smiled and texted him back, saying _I miss you _in reply to his _hello beautiful_ text. He sent back _:) meet me at the lake?_ And even though that was technically her and Jess' place, she couldn't wait to be there. _Five minutes?_ She sent back, and he responded with a _give me 10_. Ten minutes later, she arrived at the lake and sat down on the dock.

From the opposite side a tall, dark haired man walked over. His smile said it all: He was meeting his love. Rory's heart accelerated as he sat down next to her. "Hey." He said, meeting her eyes with his own. "Dean, you look nice." She said, noting that he didn't smell like fried food. He laughed the wrinkles around his eyes barely noticeable. Rory felt a pang in her chest. He must have gone through more than she'd realized.

"I needed to shower. The extra five minutes mattered a lot." He laughed again, placing his hand over Rory's. "So… us." He began, and she nodded. "Do you think that you'll ever forgive me for the... for before?" She asked, looking down at the water. Nodding, Dean brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly. "I forgave you the day Jess left you." He said, frowning. "That came out wrong." He said, and she surprised him by kissing him gently. "I understand Dean." She said, and then put her head down on his shoulder.

They sat that way for a while, occasionally making conversation but seeming to enjoy the silent moments as well. He whispered, "Rory, be my girlfriend again?" Rory nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I don't know what other option there is, it seems my heart wouldn't let me change my mind." She grinned and looked up. Their lips met in a rush, the thrill something that they'd both felt before, but it seemed to be renewed. A whole new thing.

The next morning, Rory was waiting at the kitchen table when Lorelai came downstairs. Rory seemed excited, and Lorelai did her best to avoid looking at her daughter. Frowning, Rory looked at her mother sternly. "Mom, listen to me." Lorelai gazed over at Rory and nodded. "You have my attention." She said, kind of coldly. It seemed that they would never get over this unpleasantness, though Rory had just left school not long before that. "I am going back to Yale. But, I'm taking fall semester off. I need the breathing space. I need to take stock of what is going on in my life. Mom… I'm back with Dean."

Lorelai looked annoyed. "You are not back with Dean." She said, grabbing a cup of coffee. Rory shifted in her chair. "I am mom, he makes me happy. I know that I screwed that up before, but this time I won't. This time, I'm going to make him happy. I don't know what's changed, but there's something there." She said, fiddling with a pop tart she had laid out on the platter. Lorelai sighed.

"I'm glad you're going back to Yale. Also, I'm glad that the decision came before something bad happened. I just had a conversation with your grandparents about getting you back in." Rory frowned. "You felt like you had to take it to them?" She got angry. "This is MY life! MINE." She said, standing up and storming into her room. Her mom was yelling back at her, but Rory did her best to ignore it. She kept going, gathering up stuff. She had to get her stuff back from her dorm.

After everything was packed up, she drove back to stars hollow. Stopping at Luke's, Rory honked the horn and Dean came outside. "What is all this stuff?' He asked, assessing the contents of her car. "Stuff from my dorm." She said, not wanting to get into it again. He nodded. He kissed her softly, and she went back to her moms and he went back to work. Lorelai was at the Inn again, so Rory went to work, setting everything up the way it should be. She smiled when her work was done. Sitting down on the bed, she checked her phone.

_Ace, I miss you_. The text read. Rory rolled her eyes. She read the next one, a slightly more pleading one. _Call me. I need you._ She puffed out her cheeks. He was really laying it on thick. She dialed his number and put her phone to her ear. She leaned back on her headboard, sighing. He answered in two rings. "Logan, this is Rory. I'm done waiting. I have found true love. Don't bother me anymore. Thanks." She said, hanging up without giving him a second to argue. She was over Huntzberger and his stupid "busy" ways. He was playing around, like always.

Logan kept calling Rory, but she ignored all of his calls. She couldn't wait to see Dean again, her heart full to bursting. She called Lane, but then ended up just driving over to her apartment. She knocked and walked in, greeting a disgruntled Zack before going directly to Lane's bedroom. She smiled and looked at her best friend, who was lying in her bed with cd's surrounding her. "I have some great news!" Rory said, knowing Lane would show the proper appreciation that the news of her and Dean together would deserve. She put her arms up and said "Dean and I are back together!" Lane grinned and jumped up, hugging her best friend. "I'm so happy for you!" They did kind of a hopping up-and-down hugging move, then sat down on Lane's bed to hear details. Lane listened intently and acted happy for Rory at all the right parts. She wished her mom would have given the news this kind of reaction. _Oh well, we're meant to be._

**Author's note: I'm not sure whether this story has continued as far as it will go or not. Be gentle, but please give opinions. I can continue to try if there is interest… thank you! **


	3. UPDATE!

Author's Note: This fanfiction will be updated very soon! I don't want to lose them though, so here is a bump***

Thanks for reading!


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